Crappiest Dr. Appointment. Get me off this island!!!

Mrs.PsyD

I  had my 12 week appointment yesterday here (had a 6 week in Ohio with my delivery Dr.). Long story short, I'll deliver in Ohio at my mom's hospital, but was planning on doing my prenatal care here on the island so I could stay with DH longer. Needless to say after yestrday, I'm going home Aug 1 for good. DH will visit every other week.

I scheduled the appointmet 8 weeks ago and they specificly said I had to go to a certain office location since "that's where the ultrasound machine is" and I waited 6 weeks since the Dr. was off island. so yesterday was the day.

I get there and they tell me that the Dr. is not at that office today (huh?) and that he is at the other location. I explain all the things they told me when I made the apppointment and that they confirmed just 2 days ago. and they say well you can see this other Dr.

I say fine, since I didn't want to have to reschedule again, it had already been 6.5 weeks since my last check-up. Plus, DH took the morning off work to go to the ultrasound. I go back there and pee in a cup, weigh, and get BP. Then they send me back to twaiting room sayign there is no room and They'll call me again. An hour later, they call  me back and try to redo my vitals. I tell the lady "we just did that" and she puts me in the room to wait.

40 min later, the Dr. comes in, we chat. She's nice, seems knowledgable. She says she wishes I'd have ocme in at 8 weeks, I tell her the backstory and that her nurse didn't even offer her as an option when I celled, just the other Dr. who was off island until July.

  She then says we will just listen to the heartbeat no ultrasound unless she can't fing the heartbeat. So I'm bummed, but I feel like a heartbeat will be good to hear so I ask her to get DH so he can hear too and she says she will after she finds it herself.

She then pulls out this ancient dopller and starts appologizing for it being so crappy. Says she" wishes it was more powerful, since it was 2mgz, and she likes it to be 6mgz, but these are the islands blah blah blah".,

Then they are out of the gel. Said they ordered more a month ago "but these are the islands blah blah blah" so she uses KY jelly. Fine. I've been here a year, I'm used to improvisation. It then takes her 20 min to find the HB. The whole time I'm counting dots on the celing tiles to avoid bursting into tears. She says she heard the HB and it was fine, but all I heard was static. She then packed it all up and wiped me off in split second. I reminded her about DH and she said she's redo it, but at that point, I knew he'd only hear staic too, so I said nevermind and high tailed it out of there. Meanwhile DH was sitting in the waiting room for 2.5 hours thinking he would see baby. but nope.

The second we got to the car I burst into tears. I know the Dr. Said she hear the HB, but I heard squat. I don't want to second guess her medical opinion, but when you go in expecting an US and all you get is static and KY jelly.....

I want to go home, with real equpment that works . I want to be sure baby is ok.

If this was your appontment, would you feel like the Dr. Sying she heard it would be good enough? I might be overreacting, but I can't tell since DH is upset too, he's not the best person to ask for feedback.

Thanks for reading my vent/cry.

-J

natalee215

I'm so sorry that this was so awful for you.  I would be extremely disappointed, too.  I remember going to my second appt at 9 weeks and expecting to hear the heartbeat so that we could break the news to our parents the following week at Christmas.  I had no u/s to confirm the pregnancy at that point and the doctor tells me that he doesn't like to check for a HB at this point because I'll get too upset if he can't find it.  I burst into tears and start babbling about Christmas and how I don't want to tell our families just to find out later that something was wrong.  He ended up taking me into another room to look on some craptastic u/s machine.  I couldn't see anything, but he said he saw a HB.  It was enough for me because I couldn't imagine him lying to me.

I can't imagine what it must be like there with everyone using "the islands" as an excuse for everything.  I think I would want to be back here for my doctor appointments, too, but I'm sure it's going to be really hard to leave DH.

((( hugs )))

Ashleysred

I don't know what I would do.  Being away from DH that long would be really hard.  But having those kinds of appts every month would be really frustrating.

Can you just go back for your appts?

I am sorry this is happening.  Huge bummer and incredibly frustrating.

AprilJT

I'm so sorry!  My mom is a travel nurse and was just in St Croix for the last 6 months working in the OR.  She complained daily about things like this so I do completely understand where you are coming from.  I also don't blame you one bit for coming back for your medical care.  I'm sure that your Dr wouldn't tell you she heard a heartbeat if she didn't.  The first time I heard Phoebe's heartbeat it was so hard to hear it so I can only imagine how awful it was for you with the equipment they have over there. 

DreamsBride411

I would have been a lot less patient. (((hugs))) and if I were you, I'd get my cooley back to OH with a quickness.

Mrs.N.H.

I am so sorry...I know how much you were looking forward to this US (I was too). I tottaly understand how upset you must be and like Cristina...I would have not been that patient.

::Hugs::

Ms.Beachbum08

Wow!  It's amazing how different the technology is.  I would definitely come back to the states for my appointments even though it sounds like the doctor was relatively nice.  Did she ever tell you why her name was never mentioned when you actually called to make the appointment?  your DH must have a lot of patience to sit there for that long and witness nothing.

Buttercup29

I am so very sorry you had a crappy appointment. I'm sure it is frustrating! Hopefully everything will go smoother from here on out. Hugs to you!

Mrs.PsyD

Thanks girls. You have no idea how thankful I am to have you all to talk with. Without you guys, I'd be extra alone on a hot tiny rock.

MissMex

Julie- I know exactly how you feel. Fir my 1st tri I was in Mexico and miserable. I wouldn't have been able to get through it w/o all of you. I agree w/ pp- can you come home just for appts? If it's too difficult to get over town for every appt. Could you get over to Grenada? I know st georges is there & the have a clinic.

Eleise96

Ugh, I'd be disappointed as well.  As much as I would miss DH, I think I would have to come back to Ohio as well.  Speaking of, we should have a GTG when you move back since I think you're close enough.  Kettering right? 

Mrs.PsyD

Krissie - I dont know where Grenanda is. . I suck at geography, especially around here. there are a gazillion little islands all out my window, so I'll check on that for sure.  Puerto Rico is close and they have more modern health care. That might be an option.

Elisie- yeah we're close. I'm in centerville. GTG!GTG!GTG!

Lisa7

Eleise96:

Ugh, I'd be disappointed as well.  As much as I would miss DH, I think I would have to come back to Ohio as well.  Speaking of, we should have a GTG when you move back since I think you're close enough.  Kettering right? 

This exactly. I am so sorry you had to go through that! And yes, we should have a GTG when you come back

sillybiochemist

It might be worth going to PR just for the healthcare visits.  I spent the first 5 whole months of my pregnancy away from DH.  Good news for him was that he missed the moodiness and nausea I had in the first trimester.  What sucked was even though I knew my husband was two hours away (I was trying to finish research up for my graduate degree) I still felt alone.  Which took a lot not to tell him in a vent on my bad days.  It wasn't his fault, it was my choice and he was just gracious enough to let me try and achieve my dream.  I moved at the beginning of my 6th month and realize now that I wouldn't have wanted to wait much longer than that because I've noticed my energy isn't what it used to be (at the start of the 3rd trimester) and also I'm having more problems doing things because of my size (how did that space get so SMALL).  Based on my experience I'd recommend going to PR if possible (or even Ohio which is probably a much longer trip) for the early stuff since you usually only go once a month or so, then pick a date and stick with it for the delivery in Ohio.

I can't believe some docs wouldn't check for a heartbeat at 9 weeks.  If it's not there you need to know NOW.  Personally if I had gotten that from a doc anywhere I would have found a new doc ASAP.  I understand the technology issue in the Caribbean but the fact they didn't have ultrasound gel is disturbing.

Lots of hugs and vibes.   Hope you can find something that works for your prenatal appointments.

katers1279

Oh, what an awful first appointment.

I would honestly say I wouldn't think the doctor would be lying to you about hearing the heartbeat.  I can't imagine a doctor would be so cruel to lie about something like that. 

That being said though, I totally get your disappointment and I'd feel the exact same way you do.  ((Hugs))